Fraser Coast Community Nursery

Where is it?

The Fraser Coast Community Nursery is located at the Northern end of Hervey Bay Botanic Gardens, behind the Community Centre on Elizabeth Street, Urangan, and open to volunteers on the following days (currently closed due to COVID-19);

Whether you enjoy pottering about in the garden, sharing knowledge and stories, meeting interesting individuals from all different walks of life, or simply love the tranquillity that comes from being in a beautiful environment, all are welcome at the Fraser Coast Community Nursery.

Birds of the Fraser Coast book

Available for sale at the Botanic Garden on a monthly basis (first Thursday of each month from 9.00am - 11.00am).

Monthly plant sales

A monthly sale of excess plant stock is held at the nursery and is open to the public on the first Thursday of each month from 9am to 11am. Species available vary from month to month, and range in size from tube stock to slightly larger pots.

Are there EFTPOS facilities? At present sales are CASH ONLY. Larger orders can be prearranged and invoiced, and collected outside of sale days (contact us on 1300 79 49 29 to discuss).

We are plastic-bag free, so BYO bag or box is appreciated (although we do have some available).

Donations of boxes are welcomed, and as we clean and reuse our pots these can be returned to the nursery, if convenient.

History

The Fraser Coast Community Nursery was initially set up when former Hervey Bay City Council began its Community Environment Program (CEP) in early 2006. The Nursery was established to supply native plants for CEP and other Council revegetation projects at the time, including “Land for Wildlife”.

Experienced nursery manager and plant enthusiast, John Eggleston trained and supervised a small group of volunteers in the many aspects of plant propagation and care. He remained as volunteer Nursery Team Leader until 2011. His dedication and major contribution cannot be understated, and the group would not have been able to establish itself and progress without him.

The first plants to be propagated were Vitex trifolia (Coastal vitex), Casuarina equisetifolia (Horsetail she-oak) and Hibiscus tiliaceus (Cottonwood) for use along the foreshore.

The Nursery now propagates of over 300 different local plant species which are used by Council and community groups for revegetation and park projects throughout the Fraser Coast region.

Volunteers

Volunteers are extremely important in the nursery, helping with propagation and maintenance of the plants. There are regular opportunities to learn new skills, from caring for a garden, to identifying native fauna - birds, butterflies, and garden insects - to learning about bush tucker and medicines, all in a friendly and welcoming environment.